#kc_necropolis

Yup. There's a bunch of plastics acting like they own the place.

Zara carries herself like a queen. To mortal eyes she is still very thin, with pale skin and dark hair. She wears her customary grey.

"Oh wow, did you see that hair style? I mean.. god, 2010 called..."

But they speak not of her...

and indeed, give her berth. Her confidence showing on some level even insecure teen bitches can gather that 'this one is not prey'

Then she finds her quarry.. one Betrand, who is looking at the school windows and shaking his head at the cookie cutter lowest bidder worked on this stuff they call glasswork

"Makes me wanna furkin cry"

"Shame, aye."

"huh?" he turns "Sorry I didn't.. hey, Miss Zara" He almost blurts then remembers to lower hsi voice "ma'am? What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you."

"Me? Shoot, well, great. I could use a commision. What do you need? I could make a glass star of david that can catch only candelight. I could make a magnifying glass that will read the words it goes over aloud for you. I had a chimerical glass spider but ah.. it got out"

"A.. oh.. oh.. those do sound delightful..."

"Not my reason to be here, but... well.. pleasure after business. Know you a kithmate named Kenzie? She is of Cajun extraction."

"Kenzi? Yeah.. she's a cousin of mine"

"She got red hair instead of white?"

"Is she up north now, or still in Louisiana?"

"Red, certainly."

"Thing for fire?"

"That's putting it mild like. She's mastered pyretics...and she's attending college near here. I.." he quiets as mortal ears come nearby, then move on past "Bell's ringing soon but if you want I can take you to visit her after school?"

"I would appreciate it. And.. I have reason to believe she will, as well. Thank you, Bertrand."

The bell rings... oh Zara does NOT miss that sound!

He nods "See you out.." And he points to the door that will be where he'll exit the school from. She's got two hours to kill. Once that ringing comes out of her ears

She touches her chin and drops her hand - ASL for 'thank you' - before departing the school.

She leaves the school and. ..well, what to do with two hours?

She settles down on the grass, with a book.

"Oh my god a student that reads for her own pleasure? Oh honey you'll never make it to the 'so shallow it's amazing we collect oxygen' club with THAT attitude"

"Not my kind of club."

"Smart girl... holy hell you heard me"

"Aye?" She glances up

The ghost stares at her in shock. She's a dumpy woman with rounnd rimmed glasses who looks to be in her mid forties.. as ghosts go

"Ah. Hello."

"Were you a teacher here?"

"I was... I.. oh wow. I am NOT supposed to trash talk the students like that where anyonne can hear, but no one has heard"

"Well, I hear what most don't. And I am not a student here."

"Oh.. well, then you may call me Charlotte or CD. How is it you hear the dead?"

"I am... akin."

"You don'tt look dead.. inn fact you look better than the regular ones"

"Ah, look closely."

"You.. kind .. your soul swirls and sparkles" A blink "wow."

"So, I am the first of mine own you have met. Well. We are good listeners. WHat is your story, Miss Charlotte?"

"My name's Charlotte Cornwallis... and yes, related to the failed general but very distantly. I taught here for.. oh goodness god felt like a century but i was actually 20 years.." She ponders "And a month. I poured my heart and soul into this place to try to get students to thrive only to see the rotten little ones drag the good ones down. So now I heckle them brutally, not that they hear."

"Mmm.. it takes practice to act so the living may notice."

"well, embarrassingly the most I can do is move things a bit" A smile "I do love shutting smart phones off"

"Ah! But small things can make a great difference. Phones, aye. But... closures, aye? Hairpins? To mar their appearance wouldst cut them deeply."

"I can tell you're not a good influence already" She shakes her head "Don't suppose I could ask you to .. no that would just scare folks" A sigh

"Ask me to what?"

"Pass a message to my son? He..does't live here though"

"I could. It is a mitzvah."

"Could you get to Jefferson City? At least it's in the same state but it's still a drive."

She smiles. "Aye."